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Blank on the Map: Pioneering exploration in the Shaksgam valley and Karakoram mountains.
by Eric Shipton'As I studied the maps, one thing about them captured my imagination … Across this blank space was written one challenging word, "Unexplored"' In 1937 two of the twentieth century's greatest explorers set off to explore an unknown area of the Himalaya, the breath-taking Shaksgam mountains. With a team of surveyors and Sherpas, Eric Shipton and H.W. Tilman located and mapped the land around K2, the second-highest mountain in the world. It was their greatest venture, and one that paved the way for all future mountaineering in that area of the Himalaya. For Shipton and Tilman, exploration was everything, with a summit a welcome bonus, and Blank on the Map is the book that best captures their spirit of adventure. With an observant eye and keen sense of humour, Shipton tells how the expedition entered the unknown Shaksgam mountains, crossing impenetrable gorges, huge rivers and endless snow fields. There's a very human element to in Shipton's dealings with his Sherpa friends, and with his Balti porters, some of whom were helpful, while some were less so. The expedition uncovers traces of ancient cultures and visits vibrant modern civilisations living during the last days of the British Empire. Only when all supplies are exhausted, their clothes in tatters and all equipment lost do the men finally return home. A mountain exploration classic.
Blaze and the Dark Rider (Pony Club Secrets #2)
by Stacy GreggThe second adventure in this fresh, fun and accessible new series – perfect for all pony-loving girls out there.
Blazing Salads 2: Good Food Every Day from Lorraine Fitzmaurice
by Lorraine FitzmauriceDublin’s Blazing Salads has been serving up honest-to-goodness vegetarian wholefood to many fans over the last decade, distilling two generations and four decades of the Fitzmaurice family’s food philosophy. At its heart, Blazing Salads food is deli food. It’s food made to move and to be convenient but food that absolutely refuses to compromise on taste and flavour.In this book you will be encouraged to eat well every day and enjoy the added benefits of higher energy levels and sense of well-being. You will be empowered to say no to pre-packed salads drowned in mayonnaise and refrigerated triangle sandwiches and say yes to: Protein-packed soups to keep you going throughout the day Family-friendly dinners such as Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni, Summer Leek Tart and Winter Vegetable Pie Party food and picnic ideas Gorgeous sweet treats like Soft-bake Cookies and Baked Pears with Blueberry SyrupIf you are into good food and if you believe cooking for you and your family is important; if you need to find vegetarian, vegan, gluten- and dairy-free recipes; or if you simply want more ideas on how to up your veg intake; this book will inspire you to bring a slice of Dublin’s much-loved vegetarian deli home – every day.
Blessed: The Breakout Year of Rampaging Roy Slaven
by John DoyleWho is Rampaging Roy Slaven? An Australian icon, a raconteur, an athlete of unsurpassable - and some may say improbable - sporting feats. Whether it was riding Rooting King to another Melbourne Cup victory, commentating the Olympics or hobnobbing with the country's upper crust, Rampaging Roy Slaven has lived an extraordinary life.But even some of the greatest men come from humble beginnings. Before he shot to fame as Australia's most talented sportsman, he was just another kid in Lithgow, trying to avoid Brother Connell's strap and garner the attention of Susan Morgan from the local Catholic girls school.Blessed follows one year in the life of the boy who would become Rampaging Roy Slaven, a boy who, even at the age of fifteen, knew he was destined for greatness but had to get through high school first.
Blessed - The Autobiography: The Autobiography
by George BestGeorge Best needs little introduction. A legend in his own lifetime, he is undoubtedly the greatest footballer the UK has ever produced. Blessed with an extraordinary gift he brought a beauty and grace to the game never before seen. But Best was unable to cope with the success and fame his football genius brought. His fabled story is littered with tales of women and sex and, of course, alcohol. Much has been written about Best, but very little substantiated by the man himself. That is until George Best opened his heart and engaged us in one of the most exhilarating life stories for years, Blessed. In his own words George recounts the halcyon days at Manchester United, the big games and European Cup win of '68. And then there's the heartbreaking truth about the death of his mother and his struggles with alcohol that forced him to face up to a life without drink. Blessed reveals the man behind the up-for-a-laugh, boozy, womanizing stereotype that had dogged George Best for so long. Open and honest about his mistakes, George is also incredibly candid about his triumphs, his regrets, and, only three years before his death, what he had hoped for the future.'Don't coach him, he's a genius' Sir Matt Busby'Unquestionably the greatest' Sir Alex Ferguson
Blind Descent: The Quest to Discover the Deepest Place on Earth
by James M. TaborThe deepest cave on earth was a prize that had remained unclaimed for centuries, long after every other ultimate discovery had been made. This is the story of the men and women who risked everything to find it, earning their place in history beside the likes of Peary, Amundsen, Hillary, and Armstrong.In 2004, two great scientist-explorers attempted to find the bottom of the world. Bold, American Bill Stone was committed to the vast Cheve Cave, located in southern Mexico and deadly even by supercave standards. On the other side of the globe, legendary Ukrainian explorer Alexander Klimchouk - Stone's opposite in temperament and style - had targeted Krubera, a freezing nightmare of a supercave in the Republic of Georgia.Blind Descent explores both the brightest and darkest aspects of the timeless human urge to discover - to be first. It is also a thrilling epic about a pursuit that makes even extreme mountaineering and ocean exploration pale by comparison. These supercavers spent months in multiple camps almost two vertical miles deep and many more miles from their caves' exits. They had to contend with thousand-foot drops, deadly flooded tunnels, raging whitewater rivers, monstrous waterfalls, mile-long belly crawls, and much more. Perhaps even worse were the psychological horrors produced by weeks plunged into absolute, perpetual darkness, beyond all hope of rescue, including a particularly insidious derangement called 'The Rapture'.Blind Descent is a testament to human survival and endurance - and to two extraordinary men whose relentless pursuit of greatness led them to heights of triumph and depths of tragedy neither could have imagined.
Blind Your Ponies: A Novel
by Stanley Gordon WestHope is hard to come by in the hard-luck town of Willow Creek. Sam Pickett and five young men are about to change that. Sam Pickett never expected to settle in this dried-up shell of a town on the western edge of the world. He's come here to hide from the violence and madness that have shattered his life, but what he finds is what he least expects. There's a spirit that endures in Willow Creek, Montana. It seems that every inhabitant of this forgotten outpost has a story, a reason for taking a detour to this place--or a reason for staying. As the coach of the hapless high school basketball team (zero wins, ninety-three losses), Sam can't help but be moved by the bravery he witnesses in the everyday lives of people--including his own young players--bearing their sorrows and broken dreams. How do they carry on, believing in a future that seems to be based on the flimsiest of promises? Drawing on the strength of the boys on the team, sharing the hope they display despite insurmountable odds, Sam finally begins to see a future worth living.Author Stanley Gordon West has filled the town of Willow Creek with characters so vividly cast that they become real as relatives, and their stories--so full of humor and passion, loss and determination--illuminate a path into the human heart.
Blindsided: A Rugby Great Confronts His Greatest Challenge
by Michael Lynagh Mark EglintonFormer Australian rugby union legend and World Cup winner, now acclaimed television sports pundit, on his glittering career in the game – and how close he came to losing his life.
Blissful Hook
by Hannah CowanEveryone knew the rules.Gracie Hutton was off-limits.But Tyler's never been one to follow rules.And now she's about to become his ultimate sin.Tyler Bateman doesn't know what easy means. He's never had an easy day in his damn life. Everything he has he's worked for. Blood, sweat, and tears.Hockey is his escape, a passion he never knew he could possess. He wants to succeed. He wants to prove that he's worth something.He wasn't expecting her to matter. He didn't want her to. But she had other plans, and now his best friend's sister is about to ruin his life.And he might just let her.
Blockbusters: Why Big Hits – and Big Risks – are the Future of the Entertainment Business
by Anita ElberseWhat is behind the phenomenal success of entertainment businesses such as Warner Bros., Marvel Enterprises and Manchester United - along with such stars as Jay-Z and Lady Gaga? Which strategies give leaders in film, television, music, publishing, and sports an edge over their rivals? Anita Elberse, Harvard Business School's expert on the entertainment industry, has done pioneering research on the worlds of media and sports for more than a decade. Now, in this groundbreaking book, she explains a powerful truth about the fiercely competitive world of entertainment: building a business around blockbuster products - the movies, television shows, songs and books that are hugely expensive to produce and market - is the surest path to long-term success. Along the way, she reveals why entertainment executives often spend outrageous amounts of money in search of the next blockbuster, why superstars are paid unimaginable sums and how digital technologies are transforming the entertainment landscape. Full of inside stories emerging from her unprecedented access to some of the world's most successful entertainment brands, Blockbusters is destined to become required reading for anyone seeking to understand how the entertainment industry really works - and how to navigate today's high-stakes business world at large. 'Convincing . . . Elberse's Blockbusters builds on her already impressive academic r�sum� to create an accessible and entertaining book.' Financial Times
The Blogfather: The Best of Iain Dale's Diary
by Iain Dale"Iain Dale's Diary caught the beginning of the great blog wave and rode it until Twitter became the dominant form of digital communication. Dale was key in transforming British political comment - melding political convictions, personal views, gossip and emotional honesty. His diary of the Westminster Village quickly built up hundreds of thousands of readers and became a must for those on the inside and those on the outside as well. Dale had something for everyone and not just political geeks: chance encounters, domestic dramas, the travails of supporting West Ham, and even the joys of walking the dog. We miss it. Read all about it in The Blogfather, an offer you shouldn't refuse." - Adam Boulton
Blood and Circuses: Football and the Fight for Europe’s Rebel Republics
by Robert O'ConnorIn the first year of the last decade of the twentieth century, Europe’s two great socialist empires collapsed suddenly. After years of subservience to Moscow and Belgrade, national leaders at the margins of the Soviet and Yugoslav spheres now played for the highest stakes. What had previously been administrative internal borders became wild international frontiers where sickening violence reared its ugly head amongst the peoples of Eastern Europe.Journalist Rob O’Connor follows those peoples for whom sovereignty and freedom have come at the highest price, telling their stories from the perspective of that ultimate laboratory of social science, the football pitch. As new nations have sought to rescue what is left of their cultures from the wreckage of forced Sovietisation, football has joined up the past with a deeply uncertain present.In these stories, the game is played both as an act of resistance and as an act of rebuilding. It represents ideas about identity and community – a pacifist’s alternative to the butt of a rifle. In war, football survives to remind people of their humanity.
Blood Brothers: The Fatal Friendship Between Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X
by Randy Roberts Johnny SmithThe first book to bring to life the influential friendship between Malcolm X and Muhammad AliIn 1962, no one believed that the obnoxious Cassius Clay would ever become the heavyweight champion of the world. But Malcolm X saw the potential in Clay, not just for boxing greatness, but as a means of spreading the Nation of Islam's radical message. Malcolm secretly molded Clay into Muhammad Ali--a patriotic boxing star in public, and a radical reformer behind the scenes. Soon, however, their friendship would sour, with disastrous and far-reaching consequences.Based on previously untapped sources, Blood Brothers is the first book to offer an in-depth portrait of this complex bond. An extraordinary narrative of love, betrayal, and violence, this story is a window into the lives of two of our greatest national icons, and the tumultuous period in American history that they helped to shape.
Blood City Rollers: Discover the brand new graphic novel series for 9-11 year olds (Blood City Rollers)
by V.P. AndersonRoller derby meets the underworld in this fun paranormal graphic novel full of vampires and adventure, perfect for readers of Emma Steinkellner and Victoria Jamieson. Skates on. Fangs out. Let’s roll.Ice-skater Mina is on a one-track path to Olympic gold and glory—well, until she totally wipes out at her biggest competition, and is kinda-sorta-kidnapped by undead kids on roller skates. Sucked into the high stakes world of Paranormal Roller Derby, she finds herself “recruited” by a squad of vampires who need a human player to complete their team—just in time to save the league from losing it all.Between learning to play derby well enough to kick butt on the track, crushing hard on the dreamy team captain, and navigating the spooky rules of the supernatural, how can Mina go from striving to be a ten alone, to becoming one of nine chaotic bodies forming a perfectly-imperfect team?Forget being the best. Will she be enough to help her new friends survive the season?
Blood Horses: Notes Of A Sportswriter's Son
by John Jeremiah SullivanOne evening late in his life, veteran sportswriter Mike Sullivan was asked by his son what he remembered best from his three decades in the press box. The answer came as a surprise. 'I was at Secretariat's Derby, in '73. That was ... just beauty, you know?'John Jeremiah Sullivan didn't know, not really, but he spent two years finding out, journeying from prehistoric caves to the Kentucky Derby. The result is Blood Horses, a wise, humorous and often beautiful memoir exploring the relationship between man and horse and the relationship between a sportswriter’s son and his late father.
Blood Knots: Of Fathers, Friendship and Fishing
by Luke JenningsSHORTLISTED FOR THE 2010 BBC SAMUEL JOHNSON PRIZESHORTLISTED FOR THE 2010 WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF YEARAs a child in the 1960s, Luke Jennings was fascinated by the rivers and lakes around his Sussex home. Beneath their surfaces, it seemed to him, waited alien and mysterious worlds. With library books as his guide, he applied himself to the task of learning to fish. His progress was slow, and for years he caught nothing. But then a series of teachers presented themselves, including an inspirational young intelligence officer, from whom he learnt stealth, deception and the art of the dry fly. So began an enlightening but often dark-shadowed journey of discovery. It would lead to bright streams and wild country, but would end with his mentor's capture, torture and execution by the IRA. Blood Knots is about angling, about great fish caught and lost, but it is also about friendship, honour and coming of age. As an adult Jennings has sought out lost and secretive waterways, probing waters 'as deep as England' at dead of night in search of giant pike. The quest, as always, is for more than the living quarry. For only by searching far beneath the surface, Jennings suggests in this most moving and thought-provoking of memoirs, can you connect with your own deep history.
Blood over Water
by James Livingston David LivingstonSHORTLISTED FOR THE BEST NEW WRITER CATEGORY OF THE BRITISH SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2010On an overcast April day in 2003, David and James Livingston raced against each other in the 149th Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race. Watched by over seven million people, it was the first time for over a hundred years that brothers had battled against each other in this gladiatorial contest. Only one could be victorious. In Blood Over Water, David and James tell their stories for the first time, giving an intimate insight into one of our best-loved national sporting occasions, whilst also describing a brotherly relationship tested to breaking point. It is an emotional and searching joint self-portrait that looks at the darker side of sibling rivalry and asks just what you would be willing to sacrifice to achieve your dreams.
Blood Ransom: Stories from the Front Line in the War against Somali Piracy
by John BoyleFor the first time in history, the navies of every superpower on the planet have united against a common enemy – a couple of thousand rag tag underfed men and boys. Crammed together in tiny open boats,they range up to a thousand miles from their home shores. Armed with ancient AK47s and rocket propelled grenades, they scour the western Indian Ocean. No-one knows how many simply die at sea. But occasionally these modern-day pirates hit the jackpot, seizing vessels and crews that will be ransomed for millions of dollars. This is a war that's estimated to cost the world economy $18 billion every year, and has so far seemed impossible to win. John Boyle is a lawyer turned filmmaker. Whilst filming for National Geographic on the war against the Somali pirates, he found himself meeting victims on every side, and being drawn into the incredibly complex situation. The phenomenon of modern-day piracy has horrified the world; the Somalis being demonised and released hostages gaining near celebrity status. But few people have any understanding of the overall picture, and in this book John takes us with him on his investigation, giving us a unique insight into the ongoing war. John builds up the story using his experiences on the ground and interviews with key figures from Presidents to pirates. He spent a week in an African hilltop prison interviewing pirates both convicted and awaiting trial, as well as hearing the other side of the story from former hostages. Other interviewees included a President on the front line of the war against piracy, politicians, a UN Security Council Ambassador, a hostage negotiator, prosecuting and defence lawyers, and a freelance security gun for hire. He went on patrol with the international naval force, local coastguards and air patrols; and visited the very heart of the EU Naval Force's operation. And he spent time on board a fishing trawler that had already been twice attacked by pirates and a Maersk container ship identical to that in the Captain Phillips story. Each chapter strips back the well-known issues to the gritty realities underneath them: Somalia's recent history; why young men and boys are choosing to risk their lives and freedom at sea; the reality of being a modern-day pirate; the tactics and technologies being used by the international navies and shipping vessels; capture and trial; and what happens next.
Blood Ransom: Stories from the Front Line in the War against Somali Piracy
by John BoyleFor the first time in history, the navies of every superpower on the planet have united against a common enemy – a couple of thousand rag tag underfed men and boys. Crammed together in tiny open boats, they range up to a thousand miles from their home shores. Armed with ancient AK47s and rocket propelled grenades, they scour the western Indian Ocean. No-one knows how many simply die at sea. But occasionally these modern-day pirates hit the jackpot, seizing vessels and crews that will be ransomed for millions of dollars. This is a war that's estimated to cost the world economy $18 billion every year, and has so far seemed impossible to win. John Boyle is a lawyer turned filmmaker. Whilst filming for National Geographic on the war against the Somali pirates, he found himself meeting victims on every side, and being drawn into the incredibly complex situation. The phenomenon of modern-day piracy has horrified the world; the Somalis being demonised and released hostages gaining near celebrity status. But few people have any understanding of the overall picture, and in this book John takes us with him on his investigation, giving us a unique insight into the ongoing war. John builds up the story using his experiences on the ground and interviews with key figures, including prosecution and defence lawyers, a prison governor, pirates serving life sentences, freed hostages, and a skipper of a Maersk containership identical to that captured in the Captain Philips film. Each chapter strips back the well-known issues to the gritty realities underneath them: Somalia's recent history; why young men and boys are choosing to risk their lives and freedom at sea; the reality of being a modern-day pirate; the tactics and technologies being used by the international navies and shipping vessels; capture and trial; and what happens next.
Blood, Sweat and McAteer: A Footballer's Story
by Jason McAteerFormer Republic of Ireland and Premier League footballer Jason McAteer shares the highs and lows from his long and colourful career ...The fighting McAteers: that's how the McAteer family of title-winning boxers were known throughout Birkenhead, across the Mersey from Liverpool. But for eleven-year-old Jason McAteer, growing up in the shadow of Liverpool FC, football became the dream. After signing with Bolton Wanderers at the age of twenty-one, the call to the international scene followed with the Republic of Ireland and, soon after, to his beloved Liverpool FC. The dream had become a reality. From his time with the Irish World Cup squad of 1994 to those tumultuous days in Saipan in 2002; on through his decision to leave Liverpool for Blackburn Rovers; his move to Sunderland, and the depression he fell into after finishing his professional career with Tranmere Rovers, Jason McAteer looks back with characteristic honesty and humour on his life - the jokes, the matches, and the personalities.This is the real Jason McAteer: a little bit bruised, a little bit battered. But still fighting.
Blood, Sweat, and Tears: Jake Gaither, Florida A&M, and the History of Black College Football
by Derrick E. WhiteBlack college football began during the nadir of African American life after the Civil War. The first game occurred in 1892, a little less than four years before the Supreme Court ruled segregation legal in Plessy v. Ferguson. In spite of Jim Crow segregation, Black colleges produced some of the best football programs in the country. They mentored young men who became teachers, preachers, lawyers, and doctors--not to mention many other professions--and transformed Black communities. But when higher education was integrated, the programs faced existential challenges as predominately white institutions steadily set about recruiting their student athletes and hiring their coaches. Blood, Sweat, and Tears explores the legacy of Black college football, with Florida A&M's Jake Gaither as its central character, one of the most successful coaches in its history. A paradoxical figure, Gaither led one of the most respected Black college football programs, yet many questioned his loyalties during the height of the civil rights movement.Among the first broad-based histories of Black college athletics, Derrick E. White's sweeping story complicates the heroic narrative of integration and grapples with the complexities and contradictions of one of the most important sources of Black pride in the twentieth century.
The Bloodied Field: Croke Park. Sunday 21 November 1920
by Michael FoleyOn the morning of 21 November 1920, Jane Boyle walked to Sunday Mass in the church where she would be married five days later. That afternoon she went with her fiancé to watch Tipperary and Dublin play a Gaelic football match at Croke Park. Across the city fourteen men lay dead in their beds after a synchronised IRA attack designed to cripple British intelligence services in Ireland. Trucks of police and military rumbled through the city streets as hundreds of people clamoured at the metal gates of Dublin Castle seeking refuge. Some of them were headed for Croke Park. Award-winning journalist and author Michael Foley recounts the extraordinary story of Bloody Sunday in Croke Park and the 90 seconds of shooting that changed Ireland forever. In a deeply intimate portrait he tells for the first time the stories of those killed, the police and military personnel who were in Croke Park that day, and the families left shattered in its aftermath, all against the backdrop of a fierce conflict that stretched from the streets of Dublin and the hedgerows of Tipperary to the halls of Westminster.
The Bloodied Field: Croke Park. Sunday 21 November 1920
by Michael FoleyOn the morning of 21 November 1920, Jane Boyle walked to Sunday Mass in the church where she would be married five days later. That afternoon she went with her fiancé to watch Tipperary and Dublin play a Gaelic football match at Croke Park. Across the city fourteen men lay dead in their beds after a synchronised IRA attack designed to cripple British intelligence services in Ireland. Trucks of police and military rumbled through the city streets as hundreds of people clamoured at the metal gates of Dublin Castle seeking refuge. Some of them were headed for Croke Park. Award-winning journalist and author Michael Foley recounts the extraordinary story of Bloody Sunday in Croke Park and the 90 seconds of shooting that changed Ireland forever. In a deeply intimate portrait he tells for the first time the stories of those killed, the police and military personnel who were in Croke Park that day, and the families left shattered in its aftermath, all against the backdrop of a fierce conflict that stretched from the streets of Dublin and the hedgerows of Tipperary to the halls of Westminster. Updated with new information and photographs.
Bloodstream: A sizzling motorsport romance for fans of Lauren Asher and Hannah Grace
by Emilee CarterFor fans of Hannah Grace and Lauren Asher BLOODSTREAM is a sizzling new enemies-to-lovers racing romance!***He’s a world champion. She’s the new girl on the grid. Will their sizzling chemistry throw him off track? As the new social media manager for Revolution Racing, Faith is ready to get her drivers in front of the world. With their sizzling good looks, champagne lifestyles, and charming smiles it's going to be easy. But Julien Moretz is the obstacle she never saw coming. The renowned World Champion doesn't need his personal life splashed across the internet. He's here to race and he's here to win.Julien has too much at stake to let someone see the real him. But Faith isn't the woman he first thought, and Julien isn't the bad boy he shows the world.No matter how hard they try to push each other away, as they discover the people behind the media, Faith and Julien could be the most scandalous story of the racing season!
Bloody Minded: My Life in Cycling
by Alex Dowsett'A must read'Phil Liggett, MBE'A story like no other in cycling'Ned BoultingIMAGINE COMPETING IN THE WORLD'S MOST BRUTAL CYCLE RACES, KNOWING THAT A CRASH COULD BE FATALAlex Dowsett is one of Britain's greatest cyclists. He has ridden Grand Tours and Classics for elite teams including Sky and Movistar and broke the iconic World Hour Record – the ultimate time trial challenge. With humour, insight and honesty, Alex recounts his years as a pro-cyclist and the challenges he has faced in his struggle to reach the top. Alex has achieved all this despite being the only top sportsperson in the world with haemophilia A. He describes how the condition – in which falls can be fatal – both blighted his young sporting life, and boosted his determination to succeed. Every professional cyclist requires courage, but Alex takes fearlessness to another level in a sport where injury and suffering are a given. With an all-star cycling cast, including Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome, Mark Cavendish and Lance Armstrong, this pulsating book lifts the lid on life in the peloton at the world's top level. From his highs – including Giro d'Italia stage victories – to his frustrations at the injustices he faced in the sport, Alex's memoir perfectly chronicles a career in which he was driven equally by love and rage.Combining Alex's personal triumphs with his unique take on being part of the golden age of British cycling, this is an unmissable tale of sporting endeavour.'A fascinating insight into the mindset of an elite sportsman who overcame great odds to reach the very top'Simon Brotherton'The humblest super-talent in the peloton, proving nice guys can win. A wonderful book'Carlton Kirby'An inspiration for anyone who wants to do whatever they're told they can't.'Michael Hutchinson'Such an inspiring tale. Poignant and moving, and told with forthright honesty'Peter Cossins